This isnt necessarily indicative of labels being "backwards". In fact the bigger labels that release digipacks and special packaging constantly could arguably be called backward. This genre and this day in age makes it monetarily fruitless to release music on CD and even on LP, no matter how great it is. The cost of shipping thousands of bulky digipacks all over the planet as opposed to just disc and art (no jewel case) is significant. They are hard to store, expensive to ship and deteriorate a lot sooner than release protected by a jewel case. People seem to have a false stigma that if something comes in a digipack then it must be better than other albums found in a jewel case.

My point was that Digipacks are not only nicer, but they're ecologically "friendlier." I would expect that to be taken into consideration, especially with a band such as Skagos. Of course, as you said, the packaging could be skipped altogether, and the CD could just be shipped in an envelope with artwork.

If it's so monetarily fruitless to put out music on CD, than why are Ast and countless other black metal records being issued on CD? The label must have something to gain by putting it out, no? I understand if it's not about the money, but in this case I just think that Ast is a special album that deserves special packaging.

And I don't think an album on digipack is necessarily better than one in a jewel case, but some albums are more deserving of the nicer packaging than others. And as I said, "Ast" is surely one of them.

I just want to point out that my post was not any sort of attack against NHR. It was rather an esoteric comment that only a few people would get, having to do with the insane amount of trouble Skagos had getting anything released at all, up until recently. If it wasn't for Woodsmoke, it is possible that Skagos would have simply dorpped off the map forever. I think that we had close to 8 labels flake out on the Himmelszelt cassette, 4 of them a week before pressing, before Paul offered to save our asses.

We can all thank Paul, Beau, and some others for remembering that it's about the music first.

Stoneborn, you've mentioned elsewhere how hard it has been to get labels to put your records out, and I for one don't get it. Not to kiss your ass or anything, but considering the amount of shit that gets put out and "marketed" these days as "atmospheric black metal" it escapes me how a label could fail to see what makes Ast, and the rest of Skagos' material so good. My comments merely come from a disillusionment with the business side of putting records out. Also not an attack on NHR, and certainly not meant to be pointed at Pagan Flames, Ben, which I have a massive amount of respect and admiration for.

I definitely agree with the ecological aspect of a digipack over jewel case. Dont get me wrong there. I think Skagos is a good fit with us (Pagan Flames) and we cant wait to release their new album when the time comes. Im really glad Ast is getting a proper release its an incredible album.